The Sun. — London, England, 1836-12-20 00:00:00

ha..w THE SPANISH CONTEST. BY PELAGIUS. LETTER 11. In my former letter I pointed out some of the causes which have tended to prolong the struggle between Carlos and the Constitutionalists. Many others, unfor tunately, remain to be noticed—not the least formida ble among which is the inefficiency of the superior officers of the Queen's army. Under Ferdinand, not only was talent overlooked, it was almost a bar to promotion, and the higher com mands became the reward of servility, intrigue and bribery. In consequence, the Constitutionlists found the troops in the hands of Generals, scarcely worthy, ge nerally speaking, of wielding halberts, instead of trun cheons ; and have to form officers—since those in the lower grades have not had experience enough to com mand large bodies of men. The sudden increase, also in the numerical force of the army, has caused the ratio of good officers to the number of men to fall still lower. The peculiar character of the country, is, moreover, a great evil to the Constitutionalists, and a correspond ing advantage to their opponents—divided into nume rous provinces, differing in the manners, customs, and interests of the population ; there is not any sympathy or simultaneous action among the various parts of the body politic, and even military communication is ren dered difficult by chains of high mountains, crossing the country in every direction—hence a combined ac tion of the forces scattered, in small masses, over the kingdom, is extremely rare. The tactics of the Carlists have been governed by the geopraphical character of the country. Placed in a strong, mountainous district, which may be considered in the light of a vast fortress, they threaten their ad versaries from every point of an immense semicircle, requiring a kind of line of (what an Irishman would call) circumvallation, maintainable only by a force vastly superior in numbers. If an attempt be made to penetrate into this natural fortress, the assailants are attacked on each flank, pre cisely as an army assaultinc , the breach' in a fort is, from the works on each side of it, and the extent of the ground on which the conflict is maintained affords the defenders the means of taking up new positions inces santly—they cannot be, like the garrison of a town, driven into a corner and compelled to surrender. While thus, in great measure, protected from attack, the Carlists can continually send out detachments (like the foragers from a fort), who scour the enemy's coun try without resistance—for here again comes in the peculiarity of Spain, to account for the rapid progress of a Gomez, a Sanz, or a Cabrera. The most absurd and injurious imputations have been lavished on the Spanish population, because the Carlist bands have passed over wide tracts unimpeded. The fact is, all Spain does nbt contain a dozen towns ( the fortresses excepted) which could be successfully defended by their own population against three thou sand men ! Every one is aware, that it would be preposterous to expect Harwich, Colchester, Romford, or Daventry, to hold out ten minutes against two battalions of troops ; yet the Spaniards are called " apathetic" and cowardly, because they suffer their towns, nineteen twentieths of which are not so populous as the third rate English ones I have mentioned, to be occupied by bands of from two to ten thousand men ! So thinly peopled is Spain, that the three central provinces of Leon, Old and New Castile, containing exactly as many square miles as England, cannot boast of a greater number of inhabitants than three and-a-half millions ! and, with the exception of Mad rid, do not possess a single town equal in population to Yarmouth In such a country, it is obvious that a force of three or four battalions may, unmolested, traverse hundreds of miles ; and in this way has Goinez marched and countermarched probably little less than two thousand miles within the last three or four months—distancing his pursuers by the simple expedient of eating up the scanty provisions of a district, and leaving them to hunt for bread over a wider space. By this plan of making__ excursions into, and raising bands throughout the Constitutional provinces, the Carlists obtain two important advantages—first, they impede the organization of the militia, and the collec tion of the public revenue ; and, secondly, they obtain recruits among all those who are willing to seek plunder under any flag. They also dreadfully harass and reduce in number the regular forces of the State. Thus, the inroad of Gomez, has probably put 2,000 of the Queen's troops into hospitals, prisons, or their graves, while his own force swelled from about 7,000, with which he entered Andalusia (after his junction with Cabrera, &c.) to nearly 11,000—its amount when lie captured Cordova—in the absurd attempt to defend which, above 2,000 of the militia were thrown away. The necessity of protecting various and distant points compels the Government to employ much more numerous forces than those of the insurgents, yet with out it being possible to make this superiority of number of much avail in acting against them. When Gomez, for example, occupied Cordova, his power of threat . - ening either Estremadura, Granada, or the rich coast towns of Andalusia, compelled the employment of dif ferent corps, which separately could do little more than check his progress, although the united amount of them would have outnumbered the band of the Carlist General. The insurgents have moreover a potent body of allies in Clergy—priests have ever a leaning towards despotism—and the riches and influence of the monks are both 'at the service of the r epresentative of abso lutist opinions—the ignorant and bigoted peasantry are induced, by those evil guides, to withhold from the Queen's armies, provision and information, and to yield both to the " Wenders of Holy Mother Church," as the banditti of serviles modestly denominate them selves. The main support, indeed, of the Constitutional cause is to be found in the towns, whose intercourse, education, and the opportunities of observing the im morality of the friars, have combined to emancipate the people from the monkish yoke. •The decided measures adopted by the Cortes to re move from the Spanish monarchy the incubus of a priestly domination, under which its wealth was con sumed, and its best energies paralyzed, have made ir reconcileable enemies of the whole body of clerical locusts—numerous enough to form among themselves only an army far outnumbering that which the Pre tender at present commands. When we maturely consider all those circumstances ( and many others might be mentioned) which have militated against the efforts of the Constitutional Go vernment, we shall not be so much surprised at the duration of the struggle, and the ill success which has hitherto attended the arms of the Queen ; but let us not thence fall into the error of deeming the ultimate success of Carlos probable ; that and other points will be hereafter dis Cussed. (TO BE CONTINUED.) [Erratum in the letter inserted on Saturday—For " Fos, lion of the Queen's army," read " composition," &c.] POOR LAW.—The Suffolk Chronicle contains at a length quite disproportioned to its importance the report of a meeting held last Wednesday, for the purpose of con demning certain clauses in the New Poor Law Act, with a view to getting them repealed. On the night of Wednesday, the 30th ult., two fine Devon heifers, the property of the Bishop of Kilmore, 3vere poisoned in one of his Lordship's paddocks. The colossal statue for the column of July has just been cast ; it is about 15 feet higho.and in its lower part bears some resemblance to the statue of Mercury, at Bo logna. The operation of the casting was ably and skilfully conducted by M. Soyer. It is calculated that the statue will not cost above one-fifth of the expense incurred for each of the statues of Henry IV. and Louis XIV. The column itself is to be about 158 feet high from the lower socle to the socle above the capital. This altitude exceeds the height of the column of the Place Vendome by about 15 feet.—Paris Paper. On Friday morning Sarah Crabb, aged 15 years, committed suicide by swallowing a quantity of oxalic acid. She was living in a family in Seymour-place, Camden-town, and having by some means procured the poison, took it in some tea at breakfast. She was soon seized with excruci , sting pain, but for upwards of an hour forbore to state that she ,11Fd taken poison. She then admitted the fact, and was immediately conveyed to the North London Hospital, but expired as she was carried in. The cause of her com mitting the dreadful act is alleged to be her receiving warn ing to leave her situation. GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. We extract the following interesting particulars of the above undertaking, from the Railway Magazine for the present month :- 1. DIRECTIONS OF THE LINE AND PLACES APPROACHED BY IT.—Commencing near the western extremity of Oxford street, London, the line passes by Acton, Ealing, Hanwell (crossing the Brent by a viaduct), to Southall (through the cattle market), within 21 miles of Uxbridge (to which place a branch is projected, as well as to Colnbrook, Staines, and Egham), through Slough, and within 11 of Eton and Windsor, through Salt Hill and Maiden-head, within five miles of Marlow, of Henly, and of Wokingham, to Reading, a distance of 34 miles, where the communication would be effected with Newbury, Marlborough, and the whole of the south of Berkshire. From Reading the line takes rather a northerly direction, passing within three miles of Wallingford, and through Dud cot, where it will be met by a branch railway of 41 miles to Abingdon, and 91 to Oxford. The main line then pro ceeds westward, within two miles of Wantage, 31 miles of Faringdon, four of Highworth, and 11 of Levindon, where it will be joined by the " Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway," connecting together Cirencester, Stroud, Cheltenham, and Gloucester; the latter place being the intermediate point for railway communication between South Wales and the metropolis. From Levindon, the line, taking a south-west course, passes within half a mile of Wotton Basset, six miles of Malmsbury, and six of Calne, through Chippenham, with branches to Melksham and Devizes, Bradford and Trowbridge, through Bath to Bristol, termi nating at the depot in Temple-meads, a large area of nearly 20 acres, adjoining the floating harbour. There will also be depots at Bath, Levindon, Reading, and some other places along the line. That at Bath consists of 41 ; acres, the Company having power to take as much more it necessary. At Bath a branch is already projected, from the coal fields of Somersetshire, and at Bristol the line is met by the " Coal-pit Heath Railway," which will bring the coal of the Gloucestershire collieries—a constantly increasing traffic— direct to the Great Western Railway. The communication westward and south from Bristol will be continued by the almost perfectly level line of the " Bristol and Exeter Railway" (for which two extensive contracts are already taken) to the numerous rising wa tering-places on the Severn, and through Bridgwater, Taunton, Wellington, and Tiverton, to Exeter ; from whence, Exmouth, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torquay, and other places of resort in the south of Devon, are easily accessible. The surveys are also made, and an act will be applied for in the ensuing session, for a continuation of the Exeter Railway to Plymouth. 2. GRADIENTS AND CuavEs.--Considerable improve ments have been effected in laying out the line since the Act of Incorporation was obtained ; all tending to the ac quisition of the most perfect levels, and the most econo mical application of steam power. For this purpose Mr. Brunel, the engineer, has determined to concentrate a great part of the rise within a comparatively short space, by means of two inclined planes, upon which assistant power can be employed, if necessary, and the remainder of the line, thus left free, to be worked by engines of less weight and expense than would otherwise be practicable. There is but one summit level,* which is about 76 miles from London, and consequently only about 18 miles from the centre of the whole line. The summit is 253 feet above the London depot, and 275 feet above the Bristol depot. From London to the summit the line rises gradually to Maidenhead, Reading, and the point of junction with the Oxford branch, by very easy gradients, nowhere exceeding 4 feet per mile, or 1 in 1320, and generally under this. This is a distance of 52 miles, and the part upon which the greatest traffic may be expected. From this point to the summit level at Levindon, the line continues to rise gradually, without undulations, and with a maximum inclination of six feet per mile, or 1 in 880. At Swindon, the line to Stroud, Gloucester, and Chel tenham branches off. From the summit level to Bath the line descends by two inclined planes at Wotton Bassett and at Box ; the inter mediate gradients nowhere exceed 6 feet per mile (1 in 880). The inclined planes are both perfectly straight, and the in clination lin 106, or 50 feet per mile.t The length of the first, is 1 mile 30 chains ; of the second, 2 miles 40 chains. Upon the latter, occurs the Box tunnel, which is the only (but unavoidable) disadvantageous feature upon the line.— From Bath to Bristol the descent is one continued gradient of 4 feet per mile, or 1 in 1,320. Thus, upon the whole line there will be— Miles Furlongs Level, or not exceeding 4 feet per mile 63 4 Above 4, and not exceeding 6 feet per mile 50 1 Inclined planes Total ll7 4 and whilst the whole line (with the exception of the inclines, may practically be considered level, it happens that 4 sths of the traffic will be carried upon that part of it where the maximum gradient does not exceed 4 feet per mile.f The curves are in general very slight, chiefly of 4,5, or 6 miles radius. Mr. Brunel considers that even a mile ra dius is not desirable except at the entrance to a depot, where the speed of the engines is always greatly slackened ; and except in these instances, the only deviation from his rule which he has admitted, is in the curve, about a quarter of a mile below one of the inclines, where the radius is three-quarters of a mile, and not on a level, and entirely in deep cutting. 3. EXCAVATIONS, &c.—The total amount of cuttings be tween Bristol and London (including the branches to Bradford and Trowbridge, and the excavations for the tun nels) was stated, in the evidence before Parliament, at 9,750,156 cubic yards ; but this amount will be rather in creased, though not in any considerable degree, by the im provements effected in the levels, and by the substitution of open cuttings for tunnels in one or two places.l The deep cuttings and embankments are all of moderate extent, and balance each other with sufficient exactness. The general run of the deep cutting is from thirty to forty feet, and the embankment twenty-five to thirty feet. There are points where it is higher ; but those are not frequent, and only for a very short space, dropping off rapidly " down to nothing." According to the Parliamentary plans, there would be seven tunnels upon the line, amounting together to four miles fifty-four chains, but one of the longest of these has been dispensed with, and it is expected that an arrangement will he effected to substitute open cutting for another of them, which was only proposed to avoid injuring an orna mental property. If this change be effected, there will be no tunnel (except that at Box) between London and Bath. This (at Box) is the longest tunnel upon the line, being nearly one mile and three quarters, but the time occupied in passing through it will not exceed six mi nutes at the slowest rate of the engines. Between Ba th and Bristol there are four tunnels ; one of 528 yards, one of 1,012 yards, one of 132 yards, and one of 435 yards. The three last have the drift carried already completely through, and are proceeding with rapidity. All the tunnels will have a roadway of thirty feet wide, and be from twenty-five to thirty feet in height. Two of them might altogether have been dispensed with, had not the wish to avoid injury to private residences interfered. § 4. COMMENCEMENT AND PROGRESS OF THE WORKS, The Act received the Royal assent on the last day o. August, 1835. The letting of the contracts for works commenced on the 26th day of November following, and since that period contracts have been entered into on satis factory terms, as compared with the engineer's estimates, for nearly forty miles of the line, to the amount of upwards of 650,0001. The works are now in active progress between London and Reading, Bath and Bristol, and at the Box tunnel, and the line is marked out, and the preliminary steps for preparing the contracts of the principal works in the intermediate portion are completed. It is expected that the line will be completed from Lon don to Maidenhead in the autumn of 1837, from Bristol to Bath in the spring of 1838, from Maidenhead to Reading * Some small intermediate undulations occur, but so trifling in extent as hardly to be perceptible in a section on the Par liamentary scale, and in no way affecting the correctness of the above as a general view of the line. t " The descent of 1 in 107 is considerably less than the descent from the houses at the corner of Parliament-street to the Parliament Houses; it is about half as steep as Burlington Arcade ; and exactly the same as the Lowther Arcade ; and therefore, as regards any appearance of steep descent, ther e can be none."—Mr. Brunel's Evidence before the House o j Lords, June, 1835, p. 93. t In his evidence before the House of Lords, Mr. G. Ste venson stated that " he knew of no railroad of such an extent with such advantageous levels."—Evidence on Great Western Railway Bill, p. 276. Mr. Locke and Mr. Robert Stevenson gave testimony to the same effect : —" The lower the maximum can be kept upon a railway the better, because the power of the engines, or, in other words, the load that the same engines can draw, will be governed by the inclinations over which they have to take that load at any one part of the line." This is the principle on which Mr. Brunel has laid down the Great Western Line.— p. 92. The proportionate quantity of cutting upon the Great Western Line, and other railways, shows that the Great Western passes over an easy country. The London and Southampton Railway, up to Basingstoke, and their (once proposed) line on Bristol, averages about 200,000 yards a mile ; the London and Birmingham averages 110,000 ; the Liverpool and Manchester 100,000 ; and the Great Western 78 or 80,000. —See Evi dence before the House of Lords on the Great Western Rail way Bill, p 144. § The Great Western Line is about 6 miles longer than the London and Birmingham Line, and it will have about mile IT tunnelling on the whole. The longest tun nel on the Bir minham line mile ; and on the Liverpool an d Manches ter Line there are now two long tunnels ; the first, 1 : 1 mile in length, having an inclination of 1 in 48, through which all the goods pass the second, also 11 mile long, 18 feet high, and 25 feet wide, with an inclination of about 1 in 100, to carry assengers into the centre of the town. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1836. and to Oxford by the autumn of 1838, to the Cheltenham branch in the spring of 1839, and the whole completed within four years of the commencement. The satisfactory execution and completion of all the contracts in their diffe rent stages, within the respective times alloted to each, is secured by periodical penalties. 5. GENERAL DIMENSIONS. Length Breadth of way on embankments and viaducts, and under bridges, 30 feet, viz.:— For double line of railway guage, or width of each 7 feet Space between the two lines Space outside ditto, 5 feet each lO 30 feet. Breadth in cuttings(additional space for drainage) 36 to 40 feet. Cuttings—general run of the deep cuttings 3O to 40 feet. Embankments, ditto ditto of highest 25 to 30 feet. Tunnels—breadth of way 3O feet. Height to crown of arch Planes—greatest inclination 1 in 106, or 50 feet per mile. Total length of planes, with an in clination exceeding 6 feet per miles. fur. mile Sum of level planes, in no case exceeding lin 880 (6 ft. per mi.) 113 5 Total length ll7 4 6. ESTIMATES.—..COSt (as proved before Parliament.) For making the railway (at full prices for labour and materials) £1,856,820 For land and compensation (including depots) ••• 337,000 For engines, carriages, and contingencies ...... 306,180 £2,500,000 TRAFFIC. Annual passengers, 522,184 (persons now tra velling various distances on the line, exclu sive of short journeys within 15 miles of London), at 2d. per head per mile Merchandise, cattle, and parcels A.' s. d. 684,587 17 8 Deduct expenses (on scale of Liverpool and Manchester Railway) Net Revenue Or, 131. 17s. per cent. on a cal 7. TABLE OF GRADIENTS, DISTA pital of .MCES, .X 347,008 11 0 2,500,0001. AND LEVELS. Greatest Distance Distance interme. Level Incli,ia. fro m from diate dis- above tion in the London Bristol tances. London interm Depot. Depot. Depot. diate distances. —..----- ----- ----..-- Miles. Miles. Miles. Feet. Ft. In. London Depot ll7l Maidenhead Ditto Reading Ditto Junction with Oxford Branch . 52 65/ 171 ... 3 6 Oxford Bye Branch.. 62 751 10 ... 4 0 Summit Level at Le vindon Chippenham 93 241 164 ... 60. Bath Bristol ll7l ••• 11 1 / 22i t 4 0 below S _ - * Exclusive of two inclined planes. S_ Tabe amine. which will be occupied in travelling 8. Table orTinze, which wi between London and Bristol, near to the railway, at the it per hour : o inclined planes. ill be occupied in travelling and the principal towns on or zininiuni velocity of 2.5 miles M. M. Slough . Maidenhead 1 0 Reading Oxford, by a branch of 10 miles 225 -- without ditto 4 20 Wantage 2 30 Swindon 3 0 _ Is. M. Cirencester ... about 3 30 Stroud .. 4 0 Wotton Bassett _ ._ • • - Chippenham Melksham, by a branch of 5 miles 4 0 Trowbridge, or Bradford, by a branch of 9 miles... 4 15 Bath Bristol 4 40 will be 30 miles per hour ] Gloucester, by a branch of 28 miles [lt is believed the minimu? The foregoing article must be interesting alike to the public and the proprietors. One thing is quite clear that that the great Western line is unassailable by competing lines, in consequence of its situa tion and almost perfect level. If there be any line whose traffic has been under-rated, it is this, one. The passenger-traffic, which experience now shows to be increased at feast four fold, and, in some cases, twenty to thirty fold, as compared with previous modes of travelling, is here taken at only two fold, and all travelling (immense in amount) less than 15 miles from London, is omitted altogether. There is an important feeture in this line, not sufficiently considered by those who seek investments, that its revenue will commence in the autumn of the coming year, 1837, and that by the following May more than half the entire revenue will be accruing, that is, on the traffic in the first place from London to Maidenhead, and, at the second pe riod, to Reading and from Bath to Bristol. We believe the public, and even those generally inte rested in railways, are so little in the habit of close investi gation, that they will be surprised to learn, what we are able to prove is the fact, that there are upwards of 90 coaches up, and 90 back, daily, between Maidenhead and London, and nearly as many on to Reading and back ; that there are 34 coaches from Bath to Bristol, and the same num ber returning, performing altogether 72 journeys daily, be tween the two latter cities. This is on nearly half the en tire line from Bristol to London, and exclusive of all private carriages and other conveyances. There is nothing like it besides in the united kingdom. The coaches on the road between Liverpool and Man chester, before the opening of that-railway, only amounted to 25. The latter railway cost upwards of 40,0001. pe r mile ; and it is now ascertained that the " Great Western" will not exceed an average cost of 23,0001. per mile, in cluding all extras. It is also ascertained that the deduction made in Parliament for the annual expenses is full one third more than will be incurred, owing to improvements, to the amended levels, and the adoption of a wider guage for the rails. It must, then, be clear to any person who will investigate the foregoing details, resorting to simple arithmetical calculation, that this line will return a very large profit from the day of its opening to Maidenhead in September next. Messrs. Bochsa and Ole Bull, in conjunction with Mrs. Wood, are to have a concert to-morrow, at the Town- Hall, Leicester. The Supreme Sanitory Magistrate of Sicily, having learned that many vessels from Naples had arrived at Malta, has subjected articles from the latter island to a quarantine of 14 days for vessels, and 31 for merchandise. In other order, all vessels from France and England with cotton are prohibited, unless they have elsewhere performed quarantine ; and according to rules prescribed, the admis sion of arrivals from the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, from Illyria and Dalmatia, was prohibited ; and those from Austrian ports on the Adriatic were subject to a quarantine of 30 to 40 days. THE LONDON AND GREENWICH RAILWAY.— Curiosity has drawn a vast number of persons to make the experiment of a trip by this new conveyance, since it was opened by the Lord Mayor on Wednesday last. Six en gines, or tenders, are now in constant use, going backwards and forwards every half hour, and oftener, as circumstances may require. The trains to Deptford go on the right-hand rail, and those coming from thence on the left. They ge nerally stop, going and coming, to put down and take up passengers at the Bermondsey-road. The carriages are of various constructions, some being close omnibuses, for which the fare is ls. Other carriages open at the sides, but close at each end—the fare 9d. ; and others open all round, for which the faro is 6d. The carriages are accompanied by guards, in livery of the Company—dark green cloth, with a section of the railway on the button. The distance from Tooley-street to Deptford is generally accomplished in less than ten minutes, including stoppages, and the necessity of starting and coming in at an easy rate. A part of the jour ney is, however, done at the rate of 25 miles an hour — proof that in going long distances without interruption the speed may be easily increased. At present the train take about 200 each trip, but th e carriages may be increased according to the demand, but one engine may take 12,000 per diem. The Deptford end, from the establishment of the manufactories there, is at present the depot for the ex tra engines, and they there undergo frequent and minute inspection, a large arched shed, with a cast iron roof, having been raised to shelter the passengers coming and going. The. interview between Prince Polignac and his lady is said to have been extremely affecting, on her arri val from Paris on Sunday evening, it being their first meet ing since his liberation from the fortress of Ham, where the Princess resided nearly , six years. She is accompanied by two of her children, the eldest about three years of age. The populous and extensive parishes of St. Luke, Chelsea, and St. Mary Abbots, Kensington, are to be forth with united, under an order of the Poor Law Commissioners, with the appellation of " The Kensington Union." The order takes effect from the 9th of next month. The num ber of guardians for Chelsea is to be eleven, and for Ken sington ten : The poor-rate expenditure for this extensive district during the past year exceeded 17,0001. THE CORN LAWS.—The miserable old times are returning. We have been afflicted with a bad harvest, and the Corn Laws shut gut the prospect of any supplies from abroad. But, alas, the evils of the Corn Laws do not end here. Foreign countries have so long ceased to look to this country (owing to these laws) to carry off their surplus, that now they have no surplus for us ; so that not only is there want before us, but no means of averting it. It is very plain that we have before us a winter of misery and soup societies. We hope, however, that there will be such an outcry against the Corn Laws, so many petitions to Parliament, so much agitation, that the question will be taken up by the Reform Members of Parliament, and settled for ever. If so, we shall not have had a scarcity in vain.— Liverpool Chronicle. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE FRANCE. (From the French Papers of Sunday.) All the events of the last week have been of a grave cha racter, tinged with the mournful colour of our African ho rizon, and with the gloom of those calamitous days of the expedition against Constantina, which have witnessed the death of so many of our young and brave soldiers, and added a new page to the history of our disasters. The sa crifice of so many lives, without either glory, compensation, or result, must be for France a source of the deepest afflic tion. Those who are no more are entitled to our regret, the survivors to our sympathy, but all demand vengeance and a glowing satisfaction ; national honour and justice imperiously require it. Can any one now entertain the least doubt respecting , the intentions of a certain pensee immuable, who has con templated, since 1830, the abandonment of Algiers ? Every thing done in the country since then was so incomplete and so badly managed for the purpose of proving the impracti cability of preserving the colony ; a secret joy was felt at every check suffered by our arms, as a murderous proof the more of the necessity of adopting that measure. This is not a mere conjecture, here are some facts that will bear out our opinion. In 1830 M. Mole had been for a short period Minister of Foreign Affairs, when M. de Talleyrand was appointed Ambassador in London. The old diplomatist called, for form sake, to take his instructions from the Minister, for he had already received them in a higher qUarter. We are assured he thus addressed M. Mole :—" I think you view the question of Algiers in the same light I do ; we must evacuate the colony as soon as possible ; it is a toy that has cost us rather dear ; we must only choose our time. You authorize me, of course, to announce it to the British Cabinet as a resolution of the French Govern ment, that will afford me great facilities in London." M. Mole replied, that the question was too serious to be thus solved in a conversation, and that it should be referred to the Council. Eight days afterwards it was accordingly brought forward by General Sebastiani. Every one knows in whose name the General habitually spoke. Count Sebastiani contended that Algiers ought to be abandoned, for the very same reasons adduced by M. de Talleyrand in his visit to M. Mole. There is one circumstance which the members who then composed the Council must remember—namely, the verbose discourse in which the pensee itnnzuable explained his numerous objections to retaining the colony —" You will find later that I am right, gentlemen," said he, in closing the discussion. _ _ . From that moment everything done towards the coloni zation of Algiers appears to have been a reluctant conces sion to public opinion. The Government did not relinquish it because it was in dread of the country and of the Cham bers, but the pensee immuable nevertheless, persevered in its con vi ction.—Nouvelle Minerve. It appears no other expedition will be undertaken against Constantina before April. 20,000 or 25,000 men will be assembled in the meanwhile at Toulon, so as to be able to strike then a decisive blow.—lbid. It is reported that Marshal Clausel's resignation of the government of Algiers will be accepted, and that the Court intends to confer it on the Duke of Mortemart. It was not without some good reason that the Duke went to vigit Al giers. Since his mission to Russia he enjoys the entire confidence of the Tuileries ; a more exalted station yet awaits him.—lbid. _ . . We have received several other letters frem Africa, which confirm the particulars we published a few days ago respecting the disastrous expedition against Constantina. One of them contains a calculation of the losses of the army. 1,500 men perished in the campaign, three-fourths of whom died of cold and hunger. 2,000 able-bodied men returned to Bona, bringing with them a long convoy of be tween 3,000 and 3,500 sick and wounded. The hospitals are completely full, and fever rages in them with so much violence that very few, it was feared, will recover. It was reported that General Trezel had died of his wound.— National. SPAIN. SIEGE OF BILBOA. If we can give credit to the French papers received this morning by the express of Sunday, the operations for the relief of Bilboa by Gen. Espartero commenced on the 12th instant, in the afternoon. The following are the details : ( From the Phare de Bayonne of the 15th.) " The division of Gen. Espartero was to march on the 12th on Burcena, and afterwards on Bilboa, by the left side of the river Nervian. This division is composed of 19 battalions and 2 squadrons. " On the 12th, in the afternoon, the position of Burcena was carried after a charge:of cavalry, and, on the departure of a trincadame from Portugalette, they we going to throw a bridge over the river Cadagua, to attack the heights on the 13th, which the Carlists had entrenched, the success of which appeared almost certain. General Espartero, in the combat of the 12th, in the takingof the village of Bur cena, lost one of his aides-de-camp." BAYONNE, DEC. 13.—We have received, via Socoa, au thentic accounts from Portugalette of the date of yesterday evening, that General Espartero attacked yesterday (the 12th) with success the Carlist line in the plain of Castre jana. A brilliant charge of the cavalry broke through one of the Carlist wings, and about three o'clock in the after:- noon the infantry carried several positions of the enemy, amongst whichs were the heights of ,Las Cruces. The remainder of the division of Espartero soon•arrived by the Desierto ; the Bridge of Castreajna is "still occupied by the Carlists. Telegraphs have been established at Portu galette and Bilboa. All is prepared for the garrison to make a sortie, when Espartero commences the decisive attack. The Memorial Bordelais says that Don Carlos is ill. The French Papers state a new expedition against Con stantina is resolved upon, and that the Duke of Orleans is to have the command. • PARIS, DEC. 18.—We have the following from Bayonne, dated Dec. 13. We have just received by way of Socoa authentic news from Portugalette of the date of yesterday evening. General Espartero made yesterday a successful attack on the Carlist lines, in the plain of Castrejana ; the brilliant charges of his cavalry broke one wing of the Car lists, and about three o'clock in the afternoon his infantry got possession of several of the enemy's positions ; among others, the heights of Las Cruces. The remainder of Es partero's division soon arrived by the Desierto, and occu pied the same positions. The General made his artillery advance, and caused a bridge to be laid down, over which he intended to pass on the 13th, at break of day. " The bridge of Castrejana was still occupied by the Carlists ; who had armed it with cannon and parapets ; but these instruments will avail nothing, as Espartero may very well effect his passage at another point without loss. " Telegraphs had been set up between Portugalette and Bilboa. Everything was prepared that the garrison might make a sally at the moment that Espartero was expected. We have nothing from Bilboa later than the above news of the 12th—only La Phare says, that the action which took place on that day tended to the advantage of Espar tero. The General lost one of his aid de camps, named Capo Alange." The Memorial Bordelais says that Don Carlos is ill that he was bled on the 10th at Durango, but there was nothing in the case to excite alarm. PORTUGAL. LISBON, DEC. 10.—The scrutiny of the elections did not take place until Sunday last, the 4th inst., when the fol lowing persons were elected as deputies for the approaching Cortes for Lisbon : Votes. Anselmo Braancamp 8,771 Barreto Feio 8,350 Faustino da Gama Lionel Tavares Cabral 7,886 Jose Liberato Carvalho Jose Ferreira Pinto Basto, jun. Count da Taipa 7,192 Antonio Caesar Vasconcellos Colonel Luna Jose da Silva Passos 5,899 Their substitutes will be shortly chosen. As I had anticipated, the popular disaffection at the Mi nisters recent modification of the 4th paragraph of the 34th article of the Constitution of 1820 manifested itself to such a degree as to prevent even a single Minister of the Crown from being elected for this city, while at Oporto party spi rit did not run so high, and this innovation of the charter was not considered by the inhabitants of the " Eternal" City of such importance as to cause them to withhold their votes from the triumvirate Ministry, and they have conse quently been returned for that place. The exceeding anxiety of the Ministers to meet in proper time the amount of their dividends falling due on the Ist of January next, has induced extraordinary exertion to ob tain a sufficient sum, which, together with a quantity of Scrip they intend to pledge for the occasion, will enable them to effect their object. They will remit the amount to London not later than the 20th inst. Having in my former letters exposed the nefarious sys tem of vessels being fitted out in this port with impunity for the slave-trade, I am now happy to state, that the pre sent Government have, much to their credit., removed the stigma which the former Government, professing Liberal principles, appeared to countenance. At a Cabinet Council held this day, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Viscount de Sada Bandeira, presented to her Majesty a decree for the abolition of this disgraceful traffic, which has received the Royal sanction. The provisions of this decree, I am given to understand, impose imprisonment and heavy fines upon any of her subjects engaged directly or indirectly in the trade, and it states that all Portuguse seamen found on board slave vessels will he condemned to serve four years in the navy without pay. His Majesty's steamer Echo put in here, on her way to the West Indies, for coals on the 6th inst., and sailed yes terday. The Manchester steamer arrived from Madeira, Gibraltar, and Cadiz, on the 6th inst., and will sail for as unjust to deny them : those who are really zealous and England on Monday next, the 12th. sincere in a cause will neglect no means, and lookly coldly The Alert and Camden packets have arrived, the former on no allies by whom it is advanced ; and yet Russia, with the mail of the 19th on the 7th inst., and the latter through her hireling writers, has too long been allowed -to with the mail of the 28th this morning. Exchange upon give the tone to the public mind with respect to Circassia. London, 30 days' sight, 56 per milree. The truth, however, has gradually made its way ; the DECEMBER, 12.—From private letters from Oporto , mystery, which no less than the mountain mist had hung it appears that the merchants of that city are deter - over this mighty region, enveloping from the mental vision mined to resi s t the payment of the duties on wine in of Europe the barrier which nature herself had opposed to their possession previous to its being shipped for exporta - Russian a gg randizement, " but which her vaulting ambi tion, and they have consequently petitioned the Govern- tion would overleap," is gradually disappearing, and the ment against what they deem an arbitrary impost, but eon- elements of power and resistance coming to light. It is sidering the answer, which to a certain degree tends to alle- now scarcely two years ago since Mr. David Urquhart, viate such an oppression, by their being permitted to pay then a volunteer in the cause, and prompted by his zeal to a part in Government bonds, debentures, and other public leave no means unexplored or unattempted which might papers of credit, anything but satisfactory, they have promote it, was induced, at considerable personal risk and received upon sending a deputation to Lisbon to explain inconvenience, to penetrate into the heart of this interest their views on the subject ; and should this measure not be ing country. From that time lie became convinced that if attended with the success they anticipate, and the Govern- an effectual stand was to be made to the progress of Russia ment resort to coercive measures, they are determined to it was here, where, from the vantage-ground of their native close their lodges (by which determination 5,000 or 6,000 mountains, a warlike, ardent, and patriotic race had so long persons will be thrown out of employment), and await the set her utmost efforts at defiance. This discovery, so im meeting of the Cortes, to whom they intend to appeal. They portant for the repose and security of the world, and which further state that robberies and murders are committed with it was therefore necessary that it should appreciate, has such impunity in the streets at night, as to render it danger- been proclaimed with an energy and perseverance only ous for any person to be out after dark, which is attributed equalled by the pains which Russia has taken to discredit to the extreme neglect of the police. Added to the very it. The steps now adopted, and in which the originators extraordinary and unusual depression of business in every have been so nobly seconded by the• merchants of Lloyd's, branch, things in general never wore such a gloomy and will either extort from her the humiliating confession that threatening aspect before. she is at war with Circassia, or what will, perhaps.,, be still An insurrectionary movement which was about to take better, re-open the communication which on such unjusti place at Vizeu on the 2d instant was frustrated by the fiable grounds she had interrupted. timely interference of the Military Governor, Baron de Halil Pacha, who, when I last wrote to you, was gene- Setubal ; some resistance, however, being offered, two of rally believed to be dead, has now almost entirely reco the conspirators, a priest and a lieutenant, were killed. vered from his illness, which was not the plague, as reported. From the papers which were taken at the late revolt at A new version has also been given to the recent changes in Braga, the Government were possessed of the information the ministry. The late Seraskier is not the proximate au of the ramifications of the Miguelite partisans throughout thor of them, though he had recommended something of the northern provinces. A soldier of the 2d Cacadores the sort a long time ago. The fact was that he was dis stationed at Vizeu acquainted the municipal authorities of missed rather unceremoniously, and that through the influ a bribe of one moydore which had been offered him , as we ll ence of Pertef Pacha, the Minister of the Interior, who, as through him to his comrades, to join a plot short l y notwithstanding his late disgrace, is again at the height of about to break out in favour of Don Miguel. The autho- favour. To this indeed, his great talents and integrity rities deemed it prudent to recommend the soldier to affect would at any time entitle him ; but the great secret of a readiness to enter upon the proposed measure , in order his credit with the Sultan is the ready access afforded to discover the leaders of the plot, by which means they to him through the medium of Vassal Effendi, his found out that a party of 400 at the adjacent Estrella son-in-law, who is at present his Highness's private Mountain, under the command of M. Mendonca and Ar- Secretary and prime favourite. This , influence, how raes da Cea, jun., as well as another of 200 from Castro ever, there is no doubt he makes a good use of: I Deires and San Pedro do Sul, under the command of C ol . have already mentioned the extensive reforms in con- Valentin, were to have surprised that city on the morning templation for the whole administration of the Porte, of the Ist inst., and killed the Military Governor and lead- by which the farming system and other abuses will ing authorities. The rebel party, on the eve of their be abolished. Now, though professing a hearty concur march to Vizeu from Gumei, were surrounded by the Na- rence in these ameliorations, the Seraskier Hussef must him tional Guards, when several were killed, a few taken pri- self have proved their most powerful opponent, being in soners, and a quantity of materiel and papers left behind. this corrupt Government the most. i n corrigible sinner. As Further information was sought from the rebel prisoners, a preparatory step, therefore, Pertef Pacha has begun by but unsuccessfuly, when they were marched towards the removing him. The Capitan-Pacha, Tahir, his old rival, city prison, and having on the way attempted their escape , was displaced at the same time, to reconcile him the more the captain and three soldiers were shot. readily to those changes. Ministers, lam confidently informed, are much pleased Letters from Aleppo, of the Ist instant, state that Ibra at the resolution for the formation of two Chambers in the him Pacha was at Alexandretta, and that it was his in - Spanish Cortes, by the commission duly authorized to sub - tention to remain at Syria during the winter. He ori mit their proposals pn this subject. This feeling equally gm allyintended to . have visited Egypt, and this change in extends itself amongst their friends, as the condition of the his determination is said to have arisen from the late pa upper house being elective, not hereditary, and without any cification of Kendiston, which leaves the whole army of greater privileges than the other, appears to be peculiarly Mehemet Reschid Pacha, now on his frontier, at liberty. in unison with their political sentiments — a measu r e whichHe is said to have ordered additional defences to be raised they are in full hopes will be adopted in the opening of the in the passes of Mount Taurus. Chambers on the ensuing month. The plague has slightly diminished, though its ravages A person of high birth and distinction, closely related to are still very dreadful. 163 cases last week in the Greek the Royal Family of Portugal, will proceed hence as Envoy hospital. at the Court of London, as soon as it shall have been known here that the present Portuguese Charge d'Affaires has been received by his Britannic Majesty. Her Majesty the Queen has been pleased to confer the title of Viscount da Piedade upon Vice-Admiral Sartorius : this title is derived from an estate which his Excellency has recently purchased on the south bank of the Tagus. On Friday last Government papers of public credit, bonds, debentures, and ex paper money to the amonnt of about 440,000/. sterling, were publicly burnt in the Praza do Comercio. Exchange on London, at 30 days' sight, 56 per milree. Discount on ex paper money, 33 to 34 per cent. Titulos admissible in the purchase of national property, 30 to 31. Bonds bearing 4 per cent. interest, 40 to 45. Bank Actions, Lisbon, 630,000. Ditto, Oporto, 212,000 to 214,000. Pillar dollars, 902 to 907 ; sovereigns, 4,220 to 4,240. The following ships are in the Tagus :—Hastings, Cornwallis, Malabar, Russell, Minden, and Pembroke, British ships of the line, and the Camden packet ; the French ships of the line Jena, Ville de Marseilles, and San Petrus, the frigate Dryad, corvette Diligente, and brig L'Oreste. THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.) HAY MARKETS.—(At per Load of 36 Trusses.) CUMBERLAND. Coarse heavy Lowland Meadow Hay...., £3 15 t.. £4 0 New Meadow Hay 0 0 0 0 Useful Old Ditto Fine Upland Meadow and Rye.grass Hay 4 15 5 0 Clover Hay 5 0 5 15 Oat Straw £1 16 to £1 IS I Wheat Straw 1 16 2 0 SMITHFIELD. Coarse heavy Lowland Meadow Hay R 3 10 to £3 15 New Meadow Hay Useful Old Ditto 4 0 4 5 Fine Upland Meadow and Rye grass Hay Clover Flay (extra fine £6 0... Generally ... 5 5 515 Oat Straw £1 16 to £1 18 I Wheat Straw 1 18 2 WHITECHAPEL. Coarse Meadow Hay .f 3 10 to £4 0 New Meadow Hay Useful Old Ditto 4 0 4 5 Fine Upland Meadow and Rye•grass Hay Clover Hay 5 0 6 0 cid Straw £1 16 to ..E 1 18 I Wheat Straw PRICE OF BREAD. The highest price of Bread in the Metropolis is gyid. for the 41b. Loaf. Good Bread may be had at 7d. PRICES OF POTATOES AT SPITALFIELDS York Reds (from vessel) 31. 1 \s. to 41. Os. per ton. Scotch Reds ditto . 3l. 10s. to 41. Os ditto Common Reds 31. Os. to 3/ ss. ditto Marsh Champions .... ............... 3/. Os. to 41. Os. ditto Maws 0, 10 s. to 31. ss. ditto Middling OZ. Os. ts . Os. ditto Chats ll. 15i. to Cl. Os. ditto GERMANY. COPENHAGEN, DEC. 16.—The Kiobenhavns•posten of yesterday says :—" We hear that Baron A. S. Rothschild arrived here yesterday from Frankfort. If he comes as a visitor, he is welcome ; but if on account of the bad state of our finances, he may go away as soon as be will." CHRISTIANIA, DEC. s.—The artillery soldier, arrested on suspicion of stealing the mail, has now confessed that he took the bag of letters and carried it to the place where it was found, but not that lie is the thief. The letters that were found have been forwarded ; and of those that are missing a notice has been issued. Dr. V. Rosenstein, Archbishop of Upsal, died on the 2d of this month. COPENHAGEN, DECEMBER 10.—It iS said that Some of our chief merchants are on the point of forming a Committee, in order, after an arrangement with the parties interested, to make an application to our Government re specting the Danish claims. It goes on the ground that now that the loss which the English merchants suffered from the measures of Denmark in 1807, have been made good by the English Government, out of the confiscated Danish property, there can be no doubt that the Danish claimants will never receive anything from England ; that it is, there fore, but just that the Danish Government should indem nify its own subjects out of the sums realized by the confis cation of English ships and goods, for those sums which are stated in Parliament to amount to half a million sterling, and to which the British Ministry has now given up its claims, flowed into the Danish treasury, and were employed in the service of the State. The treasury ought therefore to make good the loss. It is said, however, that if the half million is divided among the parties concerned, the loss of the Danish subjects will still be great, since the Danish ships and cargoes condemned in England, produced a half million sterlirrg to the British Crown.—Hamburg Papers, Dec. 16. HAMBURG BORSEN HALLE, Dec. 16. Bills. Money. Austrian Metalli q ues, 5 per cent. Ditto ditto 4 per cent. — Ditto ditto 3 percent. Ditto Bank Shares 1352 1350 Anglo_Russian Loan 102% 10216 Paper inscription. 6 per cent _ Russian 5 per cents. Metal. Russian Inscription, Hope and Co., 3d and 4th Series Ditto, Certificates Mau v es° ltegency Bonds, 5 per cent — Ditto, 3 per cent V7% tr 7 Dutch 2% per Cents. 52 1 Ditto 5 per Cents — Polish Bonds, 3 per cents. New Tickets l5ll /4 153 An g lo-Danish Loan, 3 per cents 71% Norwe g ian Loan of 1R34, 4 per cents. t Spanish, in piastres 3 per Cents . Cortes oan, 5 per piastres, • Greek 4 per cents. 15 3 3, guaranteed by France 92 91 EXCHANGES ON LONDON. HAMBURG, DEC. 16.-13 5% ; two months, 13 4. STOCKHOLM, DEC. 9.—Two months, 11 42. CHRISTIANIA, DEC. 7.—Three months. 4 11S. VIENNA, DEC. 7.—Two months, 9 56. Beaux, Dec. 13.—Three months, 6. 21%. —Hamburg Pavers, Dec. 16. PRICE OF TALLOW, SOAP. &c per 1121 b. Town Tallow LOs. 0.1. Yellow Soap —8 Pd. Yellow Russia White s. Od. Curd ' ...-s. Od. Soap Ditto s. Od. Craves l6i. Otl. Melting Stu' • ass. Pd. (.00d Dregs ss. Od. ''ugh 235.0,1. )itto Roug PRICE OF RAW FAT, per stone of Sib. Price of Tallow (as stated by the Tallow Nlelters)..... PRICE OF CANDLES. The price of good Store Candles in the Retail Shops is as follows: Candles, per dozen, 7s. Od. ; inferior, as. W.—Moulds, Ss. 6d. Sixpence per dozen discount for cash. COAL MARK s. d. Adair's 2l 6 Bensham Burden Chester Main* '2l 6 Forest Main 22 0 Holywell 22 0 Pontop, Stanhope, and Co l9 0 Russell's High Main 2I 0 1 South Pontop Shipcote l9 0 ranfield 23 0 Wylam o, 9 Wats End Bewicke and Co 23 0 Walls End Heaton '23 6 Walls End Hilda 2) 0 Walls End Killingworth Ships arrived since l Per Ton. E F.—Dec. 19 Per Toll Walls End Northumberland 21 9 Walla End Perkins... ......... Walls End Riddell's Walls End Belmont Walls End Braddyll's 24 6 Walls End Lambton Walls End Lyons Walls End Stewart'. , 3 6 Walls End South Durham 2t 6 Walls End Tees Walls End West Iletton 2l 3 Blythe lB 9 Cowpen 24 6 Howard's Netherton Main Walls End Devonshire 22 0 Walls End Henderson 2l 3 last market-day, 40. The Princess Polignac and her children, who had been detained at Calais by unfavourable weather, arrived at the Clarendon Hotel on Sunday from Paris. MURDER AT KIRTON-IN-LINDSEY.—A shock ing murder was perpetrated at the above-named place last week. The unfortunate victims were an aged couple, bro ther and sister, of quiet and industrious habits, residing at Kirton-in-Lindsey, about seventeen miles north of Lincoln, where, for a number of years, they had pursued the occupa tion of gardeners ; and, by dint of frugality and persevering labour, had saved money enough, with the addition of a mortgage, to purchase the premises which they occupied. William Marshall was the name of the man, and Deborah Elizabeth Hutchinson that of his sister. Two women,named Elizabeth Beech and Rosamond Sampson, worked for Mar shall and his sister, and were accustomed to go to the house about eight o'clock in the morning, and leave at five in the evening. On proceeding to Marshall's house on Tuesday morning the former found the shutters as she bad let them the previous night ; and no answer being returned to her knocking, she entered, and discovered the body of De borah Hutchinson on the floor, the head and face covered with wounds and clotted with blood. Her features were scarcely discernible. The socket of her right eye was empty, and the eye was found adhering to a sweeping brush which was under her. The right jaw was broken. The cheek bone also ; the temple beaten in, and other parts of the skull fractured. Beneath her head and shoulders was a pool of coagulated blood, the upper part of her garment being completely saturated in it. The head was leaning against a door. On proceeding to the staircase the body of Marshall was next discovered, presenting an equally ghastly spectacle, the features, from the injuries received, being un distinguishable. There was a deep wound, extending from the left eye to the temple ; another upon the skull, which had penetrated to the brain, and the others from one to two inches in length. The injuries appeared to have been in flicted by a bricklayer's hammer. The murder, it is sup posed, must have been committed between five and half past eight in the evening, as the old people usually went to bed at the latter hour, and their dress, when found, was the same as that they wore the day before. The surgeon who examined the bodies is of opinon death must have been in stantaneous in both cases. A urse, containing, it is sup posed, about eleven sovereigns, S had been taken ; but so me silver spoons , which were in the box, were left behin d, as well as a silver measure and sugar tongs ; indeed, the only articles missing besides the money were a grea t coat, a ca valry pistol, and a piece of cooked bacon. Marshall, who seldom had much money in the house, had to pay 151. in terest money the day after the murder, and it is surmised that this must have been known to the party who committed the deed. Some suspicions attached to a man named Dis ney, who had been at the house the preceding evening, and he was in consequence apprehended at Sheffield, whither he had proceeded. The inquest was held . on Thursday, but there not I:,eing sufficient evidence against this man, the Jury, afte a - a long consultation, returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown." The pay-sergeant of the 38th regiment, then sta tioned at. C an terbury, has suddenly and unaccountably dis appeared. Nothing being heard of him for a month, and the fact of his ha vin g 150/ . of his own deposited in the hands of one of the officers of the regiment besides his being entitled to his discharge whenever. public, being made be chose to apply for it, have caused some little stir in the town, under the apprehension that to obtain his money some one might have murdered Min. A few days after his disappearance his pocket-book, containing only a few papers, and two pair of shoes, supposed to belong to him, were found in a field. He was a man of steady habits, and was Aerfectly sober at the time be was last seen. TURKEY. CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 23.—The brig Vixen (owners Messrs. Bell and Anderson) sailed from Constantinople on the 17th inst., with instructions to raise the illegal and piratical blockade established by Russia on the coast of Cir cassia, yet bearing with her for that purpose no other authority or protection than her policy of insurance from Lloyd's, and the flag under which she navigates. In granting the former it appears that this spirited and independent body of merchants have treated with contempt the frivo lous pretext under which to the serious detriment of com merce in general, an attempt has been made to cut off all communication with that country. The cargo of the ship i s composed chiefly of gunpowder, an article prohibited in the Russian tariff, but the more calculated on that account, from the uncompromising - nature of the expe riment, to bring the legality of the blockade to the test. The absurd fiction of sanatory regulations under which it is established, on a coast de facto independent, where Russia has neither lazaret, custom-house, or authorities of any description, is just as intelligible as her pretended solicitude for the health of a people against whom she is carrying on a war of extermination. The latter, indeed, is the true cause of the blockade ; and if it is to be maintained hereafter, its real character must be avowed, and in compelling her thus to throw off the disguise, a great political object will be attained. The fact of hostilities, of unsuccessful hostilities on her side, existing for a series of years between herself and Circassia will at once be made patent, and the importaacc of such an admission we may judge of from the pains she has taken to conceal it. She remembers the effect produced on the public mi n d. by the protracted struggle in Poland, and the shock given to her credit during the first campaign of her last war with Turkey ; and she feels that her wealczess would be still more apparent in her attempts to impse her yoke on the Caucasus. ller influence, by far a more powerful in sCrument than her arms, would be shaken throughout the East ; the Urcassians themselves would be encouraged by the knowledge that their patriotic efforts are appre ciated, and that they command the sympathies of freemen in every part of the world. These, indeed, it is as unwise